Q&A: Bobby Boswell

What kind of qualities do you think you can bring to D.C. United?Bobby Boswell: I’m just an organizer. I’m loud, and I think I see the game pretty well. So, for me as a center back, you definitely want to put people in the right positions to help you out, to make your job easier instead of doing a lot of work, because that means I am not organizing properly or the other team is really, really good. My job is to put people in the right positions to help the team succeed, and that’s getting the defense up and organized while we’re attacking, and as we’re defending, it's kind of reading lanes and trying to eliminate possibilities for the other team—make it predictable for the guys around you.
That comes down to communication. I’ve been pretty good at that. And that’s really my strongest attribute. The other things, how you play on the ball and how fast and strong and good you are at headers are secondary if you’re doing the first part right. So, to answer your question, not to be long winded, it’s just to help those guys that are already there and work with the new guys to be a better defensive team. If you don’t give up goals, you at least give yourself a chance to get points. So that will be the biggest thing I will work on when I get there.

Who are you most excited to play with?BB: I don’t want to pick and choose any one person. I know that is the PC answer, but that’s the truth. I’m really looking forward to playing with Sean [Franklin]. I’ve played against him. He’s beaten me in two of the last three championships, and I’m eager to see what it’s like playing next to him. I’m eager to see Perry Kitchen. He’s a tough, tough guy. For me, the most important position on the field is that defensive midfield position, and I would imagine he’s playing there. I want to see what he’s all about as a teammate because he is definitely quite a competitor playing against him.

We obviously struggled last year, but what was something positive you noticed about D.C. United last year?BB: I think we played y’all in the first and the last game of the year and that was like night and day. Two completely different teams. I didn’t even know some of the names at the end of the year, but that was because you were giving young guys a look and seeing what they could do and if they could contribute moving forward. The team’s competitive. You got great attacking players and a hell of a goalie in Bill [Hamid].
The difference between winning and losing is really small in this league. Sometimes, it comes down to one play, one error. That’s the truth. For me, first goals are so important because you might not score another. If you can get one and keep the other team off the score sheet, you’re golden. D.C. had a bunch of unlucky breaks, whether it was injuries or calls that went against them or unlucky bounces. Sometimes, things are stacked up against you. The year before, it seemed like everything was going their way, and last year, everything was going against them. Like I said, I am not here to reinvent the wheel, or say we’re going to change everything. It’s definitely going to be hard work. The guys coming in, we’re going to have to try to click and get some reps in right away to get ready, but its definitely a work in progress. But hopefully, we can get results quickly and not draw it out. The name of the game is winning, and that’s what we’re getting paid to do.